welcome to our website

We hope you can find out everything you need to know about Groundwork Erewash Valley right here. If you have any suggestions as to how we can improve this site, to make it better for you, then e-mail us now!

If there is any information that you cannot find here, then please call us. Alternatively, to find out more about Groundwork generally, visit Groundwork UK.

Remember to keep coming back to this page as it will inform you of all the new additions to the site, including latest news links and job vacancies.

GROUNDWORK FAQs

A lot of people want to know know who Groundwork are and what we do. In order to answer this we've prepared a few FAQs about Groundwork generally and Groundwork in Derby & Derbyshire:

What is Groundwork?
Groundwork is a federation of charitable trusts, each working with their partners to improve the quality of the local environment, the lives of local people and the profitability of local business. Each Groundwork Trust is a partnership between the public, private and voluntary sectors, and each has its own board of trustees.

Who are Groundwork Erewash Valley?
Groundwork Erewash Valley are your local trust, currently covering Amber Valley and Erewash boroughs, with a remit for expansion into the wider Strategic Subregional Partnership (SSP) area (see explanation below). We were founded in November 1988 to operate within Erewash and we expanded to cover Amber Valley in April 1996. We employ a team of landscape architects, graphic designers, digital media workers, environmental education professionals, ecologists and community and youth workers, who are supported by administrative and financial teams.

What about the name?
Many people will already know Groundwork Erewash Valley, some of our older friends might even remember when we were Erewash Groundwork Trust! However, as time has gone on we have expanded our geographical coverage (see paragraph above). At this moment in time we are currently undergoing a further expansion process, which hopes over the next few years to see us expand our operations eventually to the whole of the SSP area, covered by the 'Derby & Derbyshire Economic Partnership' (DDEP). The areas of Derbyshire not covered by DDEP are covered by Groundwork Creswell.

What is the SSP?
SSP stands for 'Strategic Subregional Partnership'. Our SSP is the Derby & Derbyshire Economic Partnership, or DDEP for short. It covers Amber Valley, Erewash, Derbyshire Dales, High Peak, South Derbyshire and Derby City. The other Derbyshire authority areas of Bolsover, North East Derbyshire and Chesterfield fall into another SSP, which focusses on former coalfield areas. To find out more about DDEP and how the SSP works in this area, visit their website.

What do we do?
Our purpose is “to build sustainable communities through joint environmental action”. We achieve this by encouraging local people, local businesses and other organisations like this one to become involved in practical projects that improve their quality of life, bring about regeneration and lay the foundations for sustainable development.

Each year we deliver hundreds of projects in neighbourhoods which are affected by high unemployment and crime levels, poor public health, run down housing and public spaces, waste ground and struggling businesses.

Our projects aim to improve things in three ways:

For People: create opportunities for people to learn new skills and take local action.For Places: create better, safer and healthier neighbourhoods.For Prosperity: helping businesses and individuals to fulfil their potential.

These projects are organised into local, regional and national programmes under the following headings: Communities, Land, Employment, Education, Business, Youth.

Where do we get our funding from?
We are successful in attracting funding from central government, local authorities, the private sector, national lottery, landfill tax credits, regeneration funding, charitable trusts and local organisations and people. Between 1993 and 2001 we secured £5,019,068, which has been invested into the local communities and economy by funding over 1200 projects.

housing

“Identifies the needs of local communities and aims to provide
solutions for a safe and practical living environment.”

With housing being an issue that is very much at the forefront in the minds of both the Local Authority and Central Government, Groundwork Erewash Valley has been working to establish close links with housing associations, social housing companies, Local Garage Conversion Specialists and housing estates, as well as local communities.

All housing estates are a product of both the built environment and the people who live there. Our work on housing estates begins with a community consultation, to ascertain the needs of estate residents. This is followed by a series of cross-cutting projects to help realise the needs of the local community.

Groundwork projects are as diverse as the communities that make the areas we work across. They range from physical environmental improvements to creating youth groups that encourage inclusion and bring a positive contribution from young people towards their local community.

Housing Associations
Groundwork has been working with Amber Valley Housing Association since its creation in 2002. The partnership began when Amber Valley Housing Ltd was part of Amber Valley Borough Council and the department employed Groundwork to deliver their estate improvement programme, with annual budgets of up to £175,000.

Groundwork is currently helping the Housing Association to introduce a system of qualitative evaluation, which will ascertain the success of each project against different criteria to those normally employed.

Groundwork is currently looking at different ways of collecting the data, including the distribution of pre-paid postcards, and employing digital media techniques.

Estate Improvements
Groundwork works closely with Tenant Liaison Groups to identify the needs of the local community and to identify possible improvement schemes.

Groundwork staff present possible Landscape Solutions to the tenants, and discuss sketch designs before the final designs are produced. Projects are delivered on time and within budget and to the highest quality.

Landscape Architects at Groundwork are also used to working as part of a multi-disciplinary team with architects, planners, engineers and quantity surveyors. Often, the Estate Improvements budget is woven into extensive refurbishment and modernisation programmes and forms an integral part of the estate ‘makeovers’. By having a representation on the design teams, Groundwork can ensure that the landscape works can run alongside or follow immediately on from the architectural works, to minimise disturbance to the tenants and ensuring that the external environment matches the quality of the internal one.

Community Safety Programmes
This year (2004-05), Groundwork has helped secure additional funding through the Home Office to carry out Community Safety works in partnership with AVHL and the Police. ‘Operation Gate It’ is designed to fund extensive consultation with residents on all aspects of safety and security, and provide match funding for physical improvement works, which address these issues.

environment

“To create useable, green community spaces by engaging the local community in design, implementation and management of the sites”

Groundwork Erewash Valley works to improve all environments, from woodlands, with the help of local Tree Surgeons. Groundwork aims to involve the community in improving and maintaining their environment, and educating communities in the importance of biodiversity, recycling and waste management.

Community Wildspaces
Groundwork manages officially designated Local Nature Reserves within the Derby & Derbyshire area. These can be in rural areas, but are more often what we term as ‘green oases’ and can be found throughout urban areas.

The Community Wildspaces project encourages local communities to become actively involved in maintaining their existing environment and in creating new ‘green oases’ in their local areas.

The scheme also aims to develop better access and interpretation on these sites, as well as holding events to raise awareness of nature reserves and green spaces, that are on people’s doorsteps.

Art and Regeneration
The arts have always been used by Groundwork as a regeneration tool and can help make a significant contribution to communities and the environment. Art is a successful way of engaging people from all ages, backgrounds and cultures and encouraging participation and celebration.

Groundwork has established good links with community arts organisations to manage, commission and deliver a wide variety of arts projects and programmes. More recently Groundwork in the East Midlands has developed a strategic arts policy through a new Arts programme.

The programme involves 14 artists from a range of backgrounds providing advice, guidance and support to staff. The artists will be working within the Trusts to help devise inventive and relevant artists briefs by looking to at upcoming projects and considering how they can become involved and the ways artists can be used in the future.

health

“Working with communities to deliver projects which will
positively benefit their mental and physical well-being”

Groundworks commitment to the communities we work with in Derby & Derbyshire is unquestionable. Our view of the environment is very much a holistic one, where we see a healthy environment and a healthy lifestyle as being inextricably linked. Many of our project programmes encompass routes to healthy lifestyles.

Walking for Health
This programme is a dynamic programme providing gentle exercise for health or recovery from illness. With short and graded walks which are suitable for all the programme is very popular and is supported by local health professionals and GPs. Groundwork aims to enable the groups to become self-sufficient and help to establish permanent walk programmes.For more details of walks in ErewashFor more details of walks in Somercotes

Community Food
The community food project encompasses many areas of health promotion activities devised to encourage the greater consumption of fresh fruit and vegetables in areas recognised as displaying higher levels of diet related illnesses. The project encourages direct involvement from the community and in particular schools.

The programme also incorporates the regeneration of allotment use through community involvement in the maintenance of community allotments, which are then used by local schools for the ‘Seed to Harvest’ programme. Groundwork encourages the local community to take on the management of these sites, on a volunteer basis. More details

Community Greenspaces
Groundwork works closely with Parish Councils and Borough Councils to improve plots of land which have been identified by the local community. These can be of any size and tend to be land that has been derelict or unused for any amount of time.

Groundwork works with the community to bring their ideas into fruition, by providing support and guidance in gaining funding and carrying out the work. An important part of this process is the consultation carried out with the community prior, during and after the work is carried out.

Youth Diversion Activities
Groundwork has worked closely with Borough Councils and Parish Councils, to create spaces for sports within local community areas. The aim of these spaces to provide facilities for young people that will divert them away from becoming involved in crime and vandalism.

Largely Groundwork is approached by the local police constables in troubled areas to assist in establishing an area for young people to gather. Multi User Games Area have been consistently successful in the providing a well lit area where young people can gather without causing disruption to the local community. The areas are then monitored by a mentor, who encourage the young people to use the facilities available.

community safety

“To reduce crime in all areas of the community,
whilst making residents feel safe and secure”

People have a natural need to feel safe and secure in the places they live. Real or perceived threats can rapidly drag a community downhill, making it an unpleasant place to live and often creating a stigma that is hard to shift.

Physical Improvements
At Groundwork we understand from long experience that many different factors can affect peoples’ sense of safety and security. Secure and robust boundaries, safe housing, CCTV and adequate street lighting are all basic physical changes that can be made to make communities feel safe in their own environment.

We work closely with housing associations and community groups to address issues relating to security, anti-social behaviour and vandalism. A detailed consultation is carried out with residents to ensure their needs are met through any improvements implemented.

By creating communal areas and promoting social activities, all members of the community can socialise and foster a greater understanding of each other and encourage more cohesive and inclusive communities.

Youth Facilities
By providing proper facilities for young people, we aim to prevent them congregating in large groups that older people may perceive as threatening. This can be a positive method in enhancing an individual’s sense of safety and security.

Youth facilities range form Teen Shelters, Drop–Ins’ to designated activity areas such as Multi User Games Areas, which provide for crime diversion activities. All of these aim to provide young people with a safe and secure place for them to gather and socialise and help to reduce the risk of anti-social behaviour and vandalism. The Graffiti has been cleaned up by local volunteers. They provide young people with seating and lighting and are monitored by local beat officers.

Groundwork carries out a detailed consultation with local youth groups to engage them in the community and to give them a sense of responsibility and ownership.

broomfield office
Groundwork training centre

HOW TO FIND US

From the North - Approaching the Little Eaton roundabout, take the left-hand filter lane and proceed straight over the roundabout on to the A61 for Derby. Continue over the next 2 small roundabouts (Breadsall & Morrisons). At the next roundabout turn right onto the A608 to Heanor. The Derby College, Broomfield Hall site is approximately 2 miles up this road on the left.From the South (Derby City) - Locate the Pentagon Island (on the main A52 route from and to Nottingham). Take the turn up the A61, Sir Frank Whittle Way. Turn left at the first island onto the A608 to Heanor, then follow directions as above.From the East (Nottingham) - Take the A52 to Derby. Upon reaching the Pentagon Island on the outskirts of Derby, take the 3rd exit (A61) and follow directions as above. From the West (Birmingham) - Follow the A38 to Derby, continuing on this road across the north of the city. At the Little Eaton roundabout take the 3rd exit (Derby) and then follow directions as from the North.By bus - Buses run regularly between Derby and Heanor (A608).By rail - the nearest railway station is Derby City.